The tragic toll of the fire that broke out in a crowded nightclub in Kocani, a town 100 kilometres from the capital Skopje in the Republic of North Macedonia, stands at 59 dead and over 155 injured. The fire broke out at around 3am on the night of 16 March after fireworks were used inside the nightclub, whose roof was made of flammable material. Interior Minister Pance Toskovski reported that “the nightclub was hosting a concert by the popular Balkan band Dnk, attended by 1,500 people, exceeding the maximum capacity of 250.” Twenty seriously injured people were taken to hospitals in Bulgaria, 10 to Serbia and others to medical centres in Greece and Turkey for treatment. The Republic of North Macedonia announced seven days of national mourning, while in a show of solidarity Serbia will observe a day of mourning on 18 March and Montenegro on 17 March.
The headlines. The news of the tragedy filled the headlines on Monday. Radio Slobodna Evropa reports that “more than 20 people are under investigation for the Kocani fire”, while the daily newspaper Nova Makedonija writes that “hearings are underway at the State Attorney’s Office regarding the arrests for the Kocani fire”. “Deep sorrow for the victims of the Kocani nightclub, with many questions yet to be answered”, reads the headline of the ‘Independent Newspaper’, raising a set of questions: “How could these events have taken place in that venue; why were there underage youths at the concert in the early hours of the morning; whether the venue had a licence to use fireworks, and whose idea it was.”
The illegal nightclub. Investigations found that the nightclub had neither a fire hydrant system nor a sufficient number of fire extinguishers. Many of the victims died not as a result of the fire, but from the chaos and stampede while trying to escape. The building had no emergency exits. The Macedonian authorities also said that the club was not legally authorised to hold events and that the organisers had never signed a contract with the band. The probe will also examine the records of the Ministry of Economy, which is responsible for issuing licences for food and drink businesses. Minister Pance Toskovski further said that “this licence, like many other things in Macedonia, is linked to bribery and corruption.” Macedonian Prime Minister Hristjan Mickoski announced on Facebook that the government was ”fully mobilised and will do everything necessary to tackle the consequences and determine the causes of the tragedy.”
The grief of the Bishop of Skopje. “I am deeply saddened by the news of the terrible tragedy in Kocani,” said the Bishop of Skopje, Monsignor Kiro Stojanov, “that has taken the lives of so many young people and injured hundreds more. “Personally, and on behalf of the Catholic Church in Macedonia,! he continued, “I offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and mourn the loss of so many young lives.” The Bishop of Skopje entrusted the deceased to God’s mercy and asked for “the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the wounded, their families and those who are fighting for their lives, so that they may experience a speedy recovery, strength and consolation”.
The solidarity of the local Catholics. Last night, at 7 pm, Bishop Kiro Stojanov celebrated a Mass for the victims of the tragedy in Kocani at the ‘Nativity of St. John the Baptist’ parish church in Strumiza, alongside many priests and faithful. He prayed the Holy Rosary for the wounded, the families of the victims and for all the relief workers and those fighting for their lives. In his homily, the Bishop of
Skopje noted that “as a Church, we pray together not only in times of joy, but also in times of sorrow such as these.” He conveyed the condolences of Pope Francis, expressed in a telegram to Bishop Stojanov, and said that the Holy Father offered his spiritual closeness to the injured and his prayers for the victims, invoking heavenly consolation for all those who suffer the consequences of this difficult ordeal.
The message of Cardinal Nemet. Cardinal Ladislav Nemet, Archbishop of Belgrade, conveyed his condolences on this tragic occasion, expressing his “deep sorrow for this tragic loss of life.” The cardinal offered his heartfelt condolences to the victims‘ families also on behalf of the Catholic Church in Serbia, and expressed his gratitude to first responders, those who are struggling to save every human life and all those standing close to the victims’ families. The Cardinal said he “prays for the rest of the souls of the deceased and asks God’s mercy for them”, while expressing deep condolences to those who lost their loved ones. He said: “I invoke Almighty God, Father of all, to help and comfort their families and grant healing and comfort to the wounded as soon as possible‘’.
